West Hartford To Host Large Juneteenth Celebration Saturday

WEST HARTFORD, CT — One of the area's largest Juneteenth events will take place in West Hartford on Saturday, June 15.

Called the"Juneteenth CommUNITY Celebration," the fourth annual celebration will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main St.

The federal holiday celebrates the official end of slavery in the United States and it is on June 19 every year.

According to event organizers, it will feature inspirational messages, music, vendors, art, and activities for all ages.

The event's keynote speaker will be Frank Mitchell, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture’s Curator at Large, and Curatorial Adviser for the Toni N. and Wendell C. Harp Historical Museum at New Haven's Dixwell Q House.

Carmen Veal Conway, founder of Brown Skin Women, will emcee the celebration.

Meanwhile, West Hartford student Kristina Taylor (Conard HS) and West Hartford Town Councilor Carol Blanks will share reflections on the importance of celebrating this federal holiday.

Juneteenth CommUNITY Day culminates with a community dance party and free Juneteenth commemorative swag bags will be given to the first 250 attendees.

The event is sponsored by The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History and the Sustainable CT Match Fund Grant.

Two other events will take place on Saturday, June 15.

Children’s author Charnaie Gordon will lead a Juneteenth Storytime at 1 p.m. for children ages 3-6 at the main West Hartford Public Library branch, 20 South Main St.

Meanwhile, the annual Hidden History ceremony will be held in the library’s community room on Saturday, June 15, at 10:30 a.m.

Guests can be part of the reading of the names of the 59 people students have commemorated over the past seven years.

These individuals who lived more than 200 years ago tell stories of both enslavement and freedom, the themes of Juneteenth.

For more information, click on this link.